Decorations are going up everywhere, and Halloween is just around the corner! This is my favorite time of year because the weather is changing, and the students are always so excited! Why not fuel their excitement with some fun Halloween books? Here are some of my favorite Halloween books and a few tips about how they can be used in the classroom.

I’m excited about sharing these books. I going to share a reading comprehension resource too! Read all the way to the bottom to grab this awesome freebie resource!

1. How to Scare a Ghost (Jean Regan)

This is a great book to use to showcase “How To” writing. It follows a sequencing text structure. Read this book and map out the steps to scare a ghost. Point out how the author keeps readers engaged throughout the story.

2. Crankenstein (Samantha Berger)

This fun story of a cranky monster would go great with social emotional learning. It’s a great discussion starter about emotions and feelings.

3.Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody (Rick Walton)

If your students know the Madeline series, they will get a kick out of this silly parody. Compare and contrast the plot of the two books and challenge your students to write their own parody!

4. The Dead Family Diaz (P.J. Bracegirdle)

The next two books can provide a great opportunities to discuss how cultures have different beliefs. It’s an adorable Day of the Dead story about Angelito traveling to the land of the living to meet a real boy!

5. Clatter Bash!: A Day of the Dead Celebration (Richard Keep)

At dusk on the holiday known as Day of the Dead, a Mexican family has set out fiesta offerings in the graveyard in hopes that departed loved ones may return to visit. The playful skeletons rise from their graves to celebrate with gusto. All night long, they sing, dance, dine, tell stories, and play games. As morning approaches, they give thanks to the stars for their night of fun, tidy up after themselves, and leave no trace of their “clatter bash” behind as they return to their coffins until next year’s Day of the Dead.

6. Too Many Pumpkins (Linda White)

Rebecca has hated pumpkins ever since she was a girl when pumpkins were often the only food her family had. When an enormous pumpkin falls off a truck and smashes in her yard, she shovels dirt over the pieces and forgets about them. But those slimy pumpkin smithereens sprout up in autumn, and Rebecca finds a sea of pumpkins in her garden.

7. The Spider and the Fly (Mary Howitt)

“‘Will you walk into my parlor,’
said the Spider to the Fly…”
is easily one of the most recognized lines. But do you have any idea how the age-old tale of the Spider and the Fly ends? Artist Tony DiTerlizzi a shines a cinematic spotlight on Mary Howitt’s warning, written to her own children about those who use sweet words to hide their not-so-sweet intentions.

This book is a great tool to study elements of poetry including rhyme and repetition.

Freebies!!

Here are two fall freebies for you! If you’re teaching an upper grade, you can use this worksheet to have students compare & contrast the text structures of two of the stories above!

If you’re teaching a lower grade, here’s a free scarecrow color by code addition worksheet you can use to help celebrate the season in an interdisciplinary way. Enjoy!